Method of treating garbage.



No. 709,384. Patenti id Sept. [6, I902.

- s. E. WILSON. l METHOD OF TBEATlNG GARBAGE.

I (Application filed Sept. 8, 1897.! (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

m: NORRIS mans 0a.. mo'raqmo" wpsnmcfpn. a c.

No. 709,384. Patented Supt. l6, l9fll2.-

s. E. WILSON. METHOD OF TREATING GARBAGE.

(Applicatioiz flied Sept. 8, 1897. 7 (No Model.) ZShefs-Sheet 2.

Mag a 2 5 @MM UNIT STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

STEPHEN EUGENE WILSON, or EEENCHLANDING, MICHIGAN.

METHOD OF TREATING GARBAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters" Patent No. 709,384, datedSeptember 16, 1902.

Application filed September 8, 1897. Serial No. 650,936. (No model.)

Treating Garbage, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to an improved method of treating garbage,distilleryslope, and the like, or any substance containing grease,moisture, or liquid.

The method in part is similar to that set forth in Letters Patent of theUnited States granted to me under date of September 8,

$1896, and numbered567,2l0.

The object of the present invention is to more thoroughly dry the massunder treatment and by the apparatus employed to economize in the use offuel by the complete utilization of steam or other fluid which may beused and which has heretofore gone to waste.

The invention has for its further object the bringing about of amoresanitary condition in the treatment of the various substances,especially those from which noxious gases and vapors result.

It is to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the treatment ofany particular material or class of materials nor to the production ofany particular ultimate product, as the apparatus may be used to treatvarious substances,and the resultant products may be numerous andvaried. The apparatus and method are, however, especially efficaciouswhere the material to be treated requires cooking and contains greasewhich it is desired to recover. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved apparatus, three combined digesting and compression tanks beingshown, though more or less may be employed; Fig.2, an end elevation, thetanks being shown partly in section.

Referring to said drawings, A, B, and C denote three tanks provided withmanholes D forcharging the same and similar openings E, Fig. 2, forwithdrawing the product resultant of the process. Said tanks areprovided near their lower ends in line with manhole E with a perforatebottom or grid F, an annular draining-chamber F, a series of removablehollow perforate draining-chambers G, designed to normally stand on saidgrid, a

perforate coil H, resting, as shown, on the grid, and a perforate pipeI, extending into the tank below the grid.

J denotes the supply-pipe carrying pressure, directly connected throughpipes K and L with the low and high pressure tanks M and N,respectively.

Each of the tanks M and N is provided with manholes M and M and eachtank is likewise provided with a draw-oft", as M and M respectively.Pipe K is also provided with a pressure-gage K said gage being connectedto the pipe by a branch K The high-pressure tank must be placed at apoint below the perforate grids of the tanks A, B, and 0, so that saidtanks may drain thereto; but the relative location of the lowpressuretank M is not so material. Valves a and b are placed in pipes K and L,as shown in Fig. 1.

Coil H is connected to a branch 0, from which extends a pipe P, providedwith a valve 0, said pipe P being connected through a suitable lateralbranch P' with pipe K. Perforate pipe I is also connected, as shown,with branch 0, the end of said branch 0 being connected to an uprightpipe R, provided with valves d and at. Pine R is in turn'connected tosupply-pipe J, Fig. 1, through suitable branches, such as J J Said pipeR extends up above the tanks and is connectedto pipes Y, extending upfrom the tanks, as shown, and is also connected to a deodorizer T, awater-supply pipe U connecting with the opposite side of saiddeodorizer. A pipe V extends from said deodorizers into a waste-pipe X.A connection is made from pipe Y into a blow-off main S, suitable valves6 andf being placed as shown to control the passage of the fluid eitherinto the deodorizer or into the blow-off main. The blow-off main is alsoconnected with each of the pipes P, Fig. 1, by a branch Z and main Z.Suitable valves, as shown, will be employed to control these variouspipes, the connections and valves being such that the pressure may bedischarged directly into the blow-off or may be made to pass through thedeodorizers T.

No particular form of deodorizer is herein shown or described, as anycommercial form may be employed. Communication through the branchextending from pipe Z to the branch 0 is controlled through valves ZMains A and B extend below the tanks A,

B," and O, the former being connected to the low-pressure tank M and thelatter to the high-pressure tank N. Each of thetanks A, B, and O isprovided with a draw-off pipe 0 at its lower end, said pipes Ocommunicating with mains A and B through suitable valved connections DE, Figs. 1 and 2.

The arrangement of pipes andconnections as above set forth has beenfound to work advantageously; but any other arrangement which willpermit of the operation of the apparatus as is about to be set forthwill suffice,

and I do not desire to limit myself to the construction illustrated.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows, assuming that the matterunder treatment is ordinary city garbage and it is desired to dry thesame and recover any grease which maybe contained therein; In thepractical operation of the apparatus in'the treatment of garbage Ifindsteam to give excellent results as the cooking and compressing agent,

though hot air or hot vapors, such as arise from naphtha, may beemployed in carrying out the process. For the'purpose of explanation itwill be presumed that tanksA and B have been fully charged, and theconnections are such that the cooking agentin the present instance steamwill pass from the supply-main J through branches J J pipe R, and branch0 into the coils H and perforate pipes I, pipes Y being open to thedeodorizers T in order to allow escape of steam, which is desirable whenthe cooking process is going on. The cooking agent issuing from coils Hand perforate pipes I will pass up through the mass and thoroughly cookthe same, the length of'time required being determined by the nature ofthe material under treatment. When the matter has been sufficientlycooked, valves e are closed and valves (1 opened, allowing pressure toenter into the top of the 'tanks A and B'from pipe J through pipes Y.

Valve b is opened to allow pressure from pipe J to be maintained in tankN. Valves dare then closed, cutting off supply from pipe J to theperforate coils H and pipes I. The valves in branch E are opened andpressure admitted from tank N through main B tothe bottom of the tanks Aand B, thereby establishing equal pressure upon all faces of the chargeWithin said'tanks and forcing the liquid therefrom, as fully set forthin my previous patent. so far the process is similar to that describedin my formerpatent above alluded to; but I have found that afterexpressing all the liquid possible in this manner the material may befurther dried by what I term penetration of the material by the pressingagent. To bring about-this result, valves in branch E, communicatingwith tanks A and B, are closed, shutting off communication withhigh-pressure tank N.

Valve a in .pipe K is manipulated until the desired pressure is securedwithin the lowpressure tank M, when the branches D are opened,connecting the bottom of the tanks A and B through main A with tank M.

Pressure being still maintained in the upper parts of the tanks A and B,moisture will be forced from the material through 'branches D into thelow-pressure tank M, the valve a being so'manipulated and regulated asto secure and maintain the proper pressure with in said tank M necessaryto this result. This is carried on until the fluid under pressure beingused penetrates the material in tanks A andB and begins to enter thetank M,

which fact will beimmediatelyshown by thepressure-gage used inconnection therewith.

Valve (1. is then closed and valves g and c (of tank 0) opened,permitting the fluid-pressure to pass through pipeP' into thecooking-coil and perforate pipe I of tank C. The extent to which thesevalves g and care opened will be determined by the pressure indicatedupon the gage carried by tank M. When the pressure within tank 0 nearlyequals that in tank M, which fact will beindicated by the gages carriedby the tanks M and 0, respectively, valves g and c are opened Wide andvalve e of tank 0 opened. Said valve 6 will be so manipulated as toallow escape of pressure from the upper part of tank 0, maintaining thelow pressure within the lower ends of tanksA and B and permitting thefluid-pressure to pass up through the new charge in tank 0. When thecharge in tanks A and B has been freed as far as possible from moistureor liquid, valves g and c are closed and valve (1 of tank 0 opened topermit the cooking agent to pass from main J into the cooking apparatus,and complete the cooking operation therein. Valves in branches D arethen closed, as are also the valves d of each of the tanks A and B,and'

valvesfin pipes W opened into the main S,

thus blowing ofi the tanks A and B prepara-fl tory to withdrawing thecharge therefrom.

IIO

The pressure may be discharged directly out of the blow-off main S ormay through suitable connections be carried into the cooking 'apparatusof a fourth tank, or, if preferred,

valvesf may remain closed and by opening valves e the pressuredischarged through the deodorizers.

It will be found impracticable to force the. ,steam or other fluiddirectly down through finished is quite dry and free from grease.

The process with the apparatus as set forth is odorless and is thereforenot objectionable,

as is the case with the methods now in vogue.

While Ihave shown only three digesting and compressiontanksflt is to beunderstood thatI do not desire to limit myself thereto,-

a gage, so that the operator may know ex actly with what pressure he isworking.

While I have for the purpose of explanation taken garbage as. the matterunder treatment,I do not desire to confine myself to the treatmentofthat matter, as other substances may be treated to advantage in themanner above set forth. I So, too, fluid other than steam may beemployed, and whileI have referred to tankM as a low-pressure tank theterm is employed simply in its relative sense. It found desirable,low-pressure tank M maybe dispensed with and tank N used both as a highand alow pressure tank,the pressure therein being varied according asone or anpounds pressure would cook. a charge. charge could also becooked just so much other step of the process being carried out.

In the cooking-tanks during the operation of both cooking and pressingthe work can be accomplishedwith almost any degree of pressure., Given along time steam at five or ten A quicker with steam atone hundred andfifty pounds pressure, providing the apparatus,

. wasso constructed as to withstand the strain.

r In practical use, however, I have obtained the pressure maintained inthese tanks will of course vary with; the pressure used in the apparatusand also according to the material under treatment. t

No claim is made herein to the apparatus shown and described, as said.apparatus forms the subject-matter of and is claimed in my to pendingapplication filed on or about April 11, 1902, Serial No. 102,443, saidapplication being a division of the present case.

Having thus described my invention, What Iclaiin isl 1. The process ofextracting liquid from a mass or charge of material, which consists inapplying fluidunder pressure to all parts of its surface simultaneously,and then passing the fluid under pressure through the mass.

2. The method of expressing liquids from a mass or charge of material,which consists in applying fluid under pressure to all parts of itssurface simultaneously; reducing the pressure upon one side thereof, andpassing the fluid under pressure through the mass.

3. The method of expressing liquids from a mass or charge of materialwhich consists in dividing said mass into a number of comparati velysmall bodies; applying fluid under pressure to all surfaces of thedivided bodies; and finally passing fluid under pressure from one sideof the mass to the other.

, L. The method of treating garbage and like material which consists incooking the same, applying fluid under pressure simultaneously to thediflereut faces or surfaces of the mass;

and finally passing fluid under pressure from 6. The method ofexpressing liquids from a.

mass or charge of material which consists in dividing said mass into anumber of bodies; applying fluid under pressure to all parts of itssurface simultaneously; reducing the pressure upon some of the faces ofthe mass; and finally passing fluid under pressure therethrough from theother faces.

7. The process of treating garbage and like material, which consists incooking the same within a closed tank; connecting said tank ,with aseparate tank wherein an equal pressn re is maintained; applyingfluid-pressure simultaneously to all the surfaces of the mass .undertreatment and allowing the contained liquid to pass through to saidpressure-tank; shutting off said high-pressure tank and openingcommunication with a low-pressure tank; compressing the mass; andfinally passing fluid under pressure through the mass under treatmentinto said low-pressure tank.

8. The process of treating garbage or like material,which consists individing said mass into a number of comparatively small bodies; cookingthe same within a closed tank; connecting said tank with a separate tankwherein an equal pressure is maintained; applying fluid under pressuresimultaneously to all the surfaces of the mass under treatment andallowing the contained liquid therein to pass through to saidpressure-tank; shutting 01f said high-pressure tank and openingcommunication with a low-pressure tank; compressing the mass upon thatside opposite the connection with the low-pressure tank; and finallypassing fluid under pressure through the mass under treatment into saidlow-pressure tank.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

STEPHEN EUGENE WILSON. Witnesses: M. H. CHAMBERLAIN, M10. 13. CORLISS.

